ELIZA DUSHKU - BIOGRAPHY

Full name:Eliza Patricia Dushku Birthdate:December 30, 1980 Birth place:Boston, Massachusettes. Nationality:Albanian-Danish Family:Parents (divorced; Mother, Judith; Father; Step-father) Siblings (3 older brothers, Aaron, Ben and Nate) Pets:Golden-Retreiver (Max Factor) Resides:Vancouver, Canada Brief Biography At the end of a 5 month search, producers of the 1992 movie 'That Night' had found their supporting star in a young Eliza Dushku. Following this, she appeared as Leonardo DiCaprio's younger step-sister and daughter to Robert DeNiro in Michael Caton-Jones' 'This Boy's Life'. Next for the young actress came 'True Lies' where she worked alongside Arnold Schwarzenneggar and Jamie Lee Curtis. Less noticable films followed (such as 'Bye Bye, Love', 'Journey', 'Race the Sun') before Eliza took a number of years off to finish high school. Eliza commenced the role of Faith on TVs 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' in 1999 after she had graduated. What was originally written to be a role spanning over only a few episodes, turned into a recurring character in season 3 and then appeared in episodes in season 4 as well as the shows sibling, 'Angel', due to fan, writer and producer popularity alike ("It was just supposed to be for a couple of shows, but then I went bad and hooked up with the evil mayor and became Buffy's enemy. The next thing I know, I'm a regular."). Eliza has since returned to three episodes of 'Angel' and the final five episodes of 'Buffy' (2003). Since her return to Hollywood, Eliza has also appeared in many feature films. 'Bring It On' where she played opposite Kirsten Dunst was at the top of the US Box Office for three weeks and was liked by critics and the general populus. The highly popular among fans director, Kevin Smith, invited Eliza to be a part of his final adventure for his two characters, Jay and Silent Bob, in 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back', where Eliza co-starred with the likes of Shannen Elizabeth, Ali Larter, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck and many more. Following this, the dud teen horror movie 'Soul Survivors' ("I think it's clear that the film just didn't quite come together") which garnered dislike from almost everyone came as the actresses first wrong move since her return. 'The New Guy' pursued which was accepted as a decent effort in the teen movie genre, however nothing spectacular. She then returned to work with former co-star Robert DeNiro and director Michael Caton-Jones in 'City by the Sea', teaming her up with James Franco, playing his junkie girlfriend and mother of his child. This role showed the diverse nature of her talent and gave her more attention from an adult audience as opposed to teens. Her latest feature film was 'Wrong Turn' which opened to mixed reviews in mid-2003. The movie is said to be a throw back to the 70's genre of horror and gore - a different type of teen thriller. Eliza heads the cast as Jessie, with co-stars such as Jeremy Sisto ('Six Feet Under') and Desmond Harrington ('Ghost Ship'). Having worked with some of Hollywood's biggest names, both as a child actress and at present, Eliza has bombarded the scene with both raw talent and a refreshing non-Hollywood attitude ("My brothers were definitely there to tell me to shut the fuck up.") Looking up to Jamie Lee Curtis for her humble nature ("She’s so amazing and down-to-earth and smart and strong. Even my mother at the time when I was 12 years old said "you watch this woman. This is how you should be a famous actress with dignity and respect for every person you come in contact with." She was my role model I think."), Eliza has demonstrated time and time again that she adopts a very similar attitude according to many fans who have had the fantastic opportunity to meet her. Upcoming Projects Next up for Eliza (following 'Tru Calling') is the independent film, 'The Kiss' in post-production for director Gorman Bechard and co-starring Billy Zane and Terence Stamp. Current Rumours Please note that these projects are not official in any way. When official word is announced, they will be refreshed on Eliza's filmography. There are also two movies in which Eliza is "In Talks" to star in. 'The Tourist' (by Daniel Pyne of 'The Sum of all Fears' and 'The Firm' big-screen adaptations) which is about a murder occuring in a small country town and everyone turning towards the new and mysterious tourist as the lead suspect. 'Annika' will have Eliza as the lead (Annika), a young woman assisting the FBI to track down her mobster father. This movie is written and will be directed by Peter Kelley who worked with Eliza as a dialogue-coach for many of her roles ('That Night', 'This Boy's Life', 'True Lies', 'Bring It On') according to his official site.